Onward To Treasure
by ForeTeller
Summary: Unfortunately for Syaoran, his travelling ship was raided and conquered by notorious pirates. The ultimatum given to him was to be stranded on a deserted island or to be part of the pirate crew. Romance and hunky pirates. What are you waiting for?
1. Captured

**Onward to Treasure**  
'Captured'

In the gloom of the dungeon, it was hard to make out how many men were kept prisoner, but there were easily a dozen. They were huddled amongst each other, muttering furiously. None of them dared to speak louder for the fear of what lurched above, but each seemed afraid and escape was the top priority on their minds. In hushed tones, they discussed plans of escape.

Talking slowly trailed off as hours passed. They were aware of the storm brewing outside. If they strained their ears, they could hear the howling of the wind and the clashing of thunder and lightening. Being sailors, they could easily read the signs. The ship lurched with the sea and many began to feel the seasickness at the pit of their stomachs. Survival seemed highly unlikely.

It seemed like eternity, but the ship stopped its frantic motions as the weather calmed. The sailors exhaled a breath of relief. They were safe for now. But that was short-lived as they heard the creak of the door. They straightened and tensed as footsteps echoed off the walls. Were they about to get killed?

A cloaked figured entered their line of sight just as they breathed in the heavenly aroma of food. Mouths watering, they all dashed towards the locked bars. All accept one. He remained sitting in the corner, his eyes never leaving the cloaked man. As the others ate and talked, he remained silent and allowed the shadows to engulf him.

* * *

"What are you going to do with them?"

A tall, dark haired man turned around. "Do with who?"

His companion sighed. "The prisoners you captured. You can't keep them down there forever."

"Oh. _Them_. I guess I'll have to feed them to the sharks."

"Touya, don't you think that practice is over-rated?"

It was the man named Touya's turn to sigh. "But we're pirates! That's what we do. It must be some kind of pirate's code."

"How about we do something different for a change? Just to be unique," his companion inquired.

"Such as?"

"We give them a choice."

* * *

It seemed that just as they fell asleep, they were rudely shaken awake. The sailors all yawned, puzzled at what was going on, until the last day's events flooded back into their minds. Their ship was raided and now they were at the mercy of a band of pirates.

As they hastily stood, the pirate crew stood imposingly over them. None of the sailors bothered in retaliation for they knew they'd be beaten and killed. They stood silently as their hands were tied with coarse rope. Then, they were pushed roughly and shoved to walk.

As they climbed up the steps of stairs, blessed sunlight hit their faces. It seemed like ages since the last time they saw light when it had only been a couples of days. Most of them squinted and blocked the rays with their hands as they waited for their eyes to adjust. They stood side by side, with pirates behind and in front of them to prevent any attempts at escape.

One pirate strode forward and it was clear that he was the captain. He was younger than they had all imagined. He could have been no older than 25. He was tall with broad shoulders and stood with confidence. His hair was pitch black and skin tanned brown from the sun. He did not sport an eye-patch as they had imagined, but he was imposing nonetheless. He walked up and down the line, regarding each of them in turn before returning to the center.

Then, he spoke in a clear, calm voice. "I had first thought of feeding you to the sharks," a few of the sailors winced, "but thanks to my second-in-command, you will not be met with that fate. Instead, you will be given a choice." Some of the pirates began whispering amongst themselves, but they were silenced with a single glare from the captain. The sailors were just as puzzled, but dared not voice their confusion out loud. "You could either jump off this ship and swim to that deserted island," he points left and they turned to see a spec of land, "or you could join my crew. The choice is yours."

Whispering began again, but they were not silenced this time. The captain half-smiled as he watched the indecision spread upon the sailors face. Finally, one walked forward. He squared his shoulders and pronounced, "I refuse to degrade myself to becoming a pirate." That was met with howls, but before anyone could lunge at him, he ran off the boat and dived into the waters.

The captain stood impassively, as one by one, the sailors jumped off the boat. He turned around to give a pointed look to his second-in-command. "See Yuki, I told you none of them would stay. They would rather commit suicide."

"Not quite, one seemed to have remained."

The captained turned back around, not bothering on hiding his disbelief. Standing in front of him was a young boy. Touya just stared at him for a few moments, before he spoke. "What are you still doing here?"

"I would like to join your crew." The boy's voice was calm and unwavering.

The captain processed that information. "You are aware that we're pirates, right?"

The boy nodded.

Again, Touya paused. "What's your name?"

"Syaoran Li."

That earned another pause as they stared at each other. "Well, gaki, I don't like you, so you might as well jump off."

"To-ya!" The other man walked forward. "You gave him a choice. It would be unfair to just kick him off!"

"Once again, I'm a pirate!" Touya said, exasperated. "Honestly Yuki, how many times do I have to tell you? Pirates don't keep their words!"

Yukito rolled his eyes as he addressed the boy. "Just ignore him. He's not very accepting to strangers, but you seem like a healthy addition to our crew."

"Yuki, we don't know anything about him! Besides, he's too young," Touya protested.

"We can get to know him. If he causes trouble, he will be stopped."

"He's still too young. He'll jeopardise the whole ship!"

"Touya, you were around his age when you become a pirate and that didn't stop you."

The two men continued to argue as everyone stood around awkwardly and watched. The boy, Syaoran, let his gaze wander around the ship. He stored everything he saw into his memory. Then he glanced up at the cabin houses. He squinted and thought he made out a figure in a window, but the curtains were immediately drawn. '_Interesting…_'

"Gaki, what are you looking at?"

Syaoran turned around. "The ship."

Touya narrowed his eyes. "I still don't like you, but Yuki convinced me to give you a chance. However, if you so much as step a toe out of line, you'll be shark bait. Got it?"

Syaoran nodded his understanding.

Yukito smiled as he shook hands with Syaoran. "Welcome to the Nadeshiko."

**To be continued…**

I hope you liked to first chapter of my latest project, Onward to Treasure. I admit that not much happens now, but action will pick up soon. I have some great ideas for this. Please stay tuned and review if you have the time.


	2. Collided

**Disclaimer: **Cardcaptor does not belong to me. The rightful owner is Clamp. And it's no use suing me. I have no money or valuable assets.

**Onward to Treasure**  
'Collided'

As Syaoran entered the dining room, the hearty noise immediately quieted as everyone regarded him with suspicion. Without breaking stride, he got in line to patiently wait for his food. As he reached the front, the cook smirked down at him. He lifted his cradle and poured half a bowl of soup and handed it to Syaoran. The cook made no move to hand him bread from the stack.

Syaoran didn't say a word as to why he was served with half a helping compared to everyone else. No emotion crossed his face. Instead, he chose a secluded table and sat down. He began to eat slowly, regardless of the eyes on him. Soon, everyone got bored and continued on with their chatter.

Syaoran stuffed a spoonful of the soup into his mouth and cringed. He was now thankful that the cook hadn't given him more. It seemed like pirates aren't very good at cooking. The stuff was horrid. Syaoran stared down at his bowl, trying to make out what was in it, but then deciding it was probably better if he didn't know. He sighed and went on eating. He was hungry after all.

As he ate, he kept his ears open to the conversations around him. There were talks about girls from the last village. Another man was describing a particularly gruesome fight he participated in. However, one conversation had caught Syaoran's interest.

"I heard the captain talking about the Clow treasure yesterday," a man said in a booming voice. Syaoran peaked out of the corner of his eye, and spied the man that spoke. A jagged scar ran across his right cheek and Syaoran was willing to bet that there were more covering the rest of his body.

"Clow treasure, isn't it cursed?" another inquired. As he said that, more began to crowd around.

The first man nodded. "Those who try to look for it often find themselves stranded on an island and forgotten how they got there. Some even disappear."

"That's impossible!"

"Aye, but it's true. I heard tell of it happening numerous times and the captain wants it to be our next mission."

There were many protests as some insisted that the treasure wasn't worth it. The volume level of the room erupted as everyone rushed to contribute what they think.

"Hello Li."

Syaoran jumped slightly. He was so engrossed with listening to the others, he didn't notice that someone had sat down in front of him. It irritated him that he had let his guard down. He looked up to see the smiling face of Yukito. "Hi," Syaoran replied.

"Are you enjoying the food?" Yukito looked down at Syaoran's half empty bowl. "Our regular cook is sick right now, so Rust had to substitute. Here, have some bread. It probably tastes better than the soup." Yukito happily took two buns from his own plate and stacked them onto Syaoran's.

"Thank you." Syaoran took a bite of the offered bread and watched as Yukito polished off three bowls of soup and four buns in the same amount of time it took him to finish. '_Scary_.'

Yukito leaned back against his chair and sighed happily. "How was your day? I heard Touya assigned you to deck swabbing."

Syaoran shrugged. "It was okay."

Yukito shook his head. "After Touya gets used to you, he'll give you some more exciting jobs."

In actuality, Syaoran didn't mind cleaning the ship. It gave him time to analyse his surroundings. He covered most of outside today and memorised every nook and cranny. He was looking forward to cleaning the inside. There would be more to see there.

Yukito stood up, an empty plate in his hand. "Well, duty calls. Don't do anything reckless." Then, he left and Syaoran was allowed to eavesdrop once again.

* * *

To all those looking, the young boy would have seemed completely engrossed with his task. His mop made perfect circular motion and he would go over the same spot two or three times before moving on. The areas he had completed were spotless. One could probably see their face on the glistening floor. However, the young boy was actually observing his surroundings. 

In the past few hours, Syaoran had each door, each item and each picture perfectly engrained in his memory. The hall was exactly 1 foot 6 inches wide and about 8 feet long. He even knew that there was a slight crack on the floor 3 steps down and a creaky area just before that. He probably knew this hallway better then anyone on the ship.

He straightened and did a small stretch. All that leaning down made his back ache, but as he turned around, he secretly admired his work. He hadn't slacked off and figured that the hallways were never this clean. Just like the previous area. Syaoran allowed a smirk to pass his features. The captain wouldn't suspect a thing.

As he went back to retrieve his bucket, he heard a voice yell down the hall.

"Kero! Stop!"

Syaoran frowned. The voice sounded too high pitched for a man. Before he could think further about the matter, something yellow rounded the corner and flew past him. Startled, Syaoran took a step backwards. '_Yellow? **Flew?**_'

A few seconds afterwards, Syaoran heard the sounds of speeding footsteps. A figure turned the corner and just as Syaoran's brain processed that they were going to collide, he felt the heavy pressure ram into his chest. Syaoran stumbled, but the slippery floor made it impossible for him to regain his footing, not to mention the added weight leaning against him. He fell, knocking the bucket over. Water flew everywhere, drenching him.

As if it wasn't bad enough that he was sitting on the ground, his rear end throbbing, but the person that knocked into him ended up landing on his stomach. Syaoran had a hard time catching his breath. He was also soaked. Syaoran grimaced.

"Oh god! I am terribly sorry!"

Again, Syaoran heard the high-pitched voice. Maybe he was hallucinating now. After all, his ears were ringing slightly. But as he looked up, he knew why the voice was so high. The person that was sitting on top of him was a girl. Syaoran blinked. '_There's a girl aboard this ship?_'

"Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?" she asked, her voice sounding frantic.

Syaoran gasped. "I would be better if you got off me."

Her face flushed crimson as she hurriedly jumped off. With the weight off his stomach, Syaoran was able to take a deep breath. After the slight dizziness went away, he turned to stare at the perpetrator. He was surprised to find that she couldn't have been any older then he was. She was also staring at him, her green eyes wide in shock.

Before either of them could say a word, running footsteps were heard behind them. Syaoran turned around and inwardly cringed. His day just got worse.

"Gaki! What are you doing?" came the booming voice belonging to the captain.

Syaoran sighed and looked at the mess around him and then at the girl. It was doubtless he'd be blamed. He stood up, ignoring the aches and prepared to meet his punishment head-on.

Touya rounded the corner with Yukito following closely behind. They stopped a few feet in front of him and eyed Syaoran. Syaoran didn't budge. He knew what he looked like. His clothes were soaked. "What the hell happened?" the young captain growled. "We could hear the noise from a mile away." He took a threatening step forward. Syaoran still didn't move.

"Stop onii-chan!"

'_Onii-chan? That guy is her brother?_' Syaoran sighed. '_This just got even more interesting._'

Touya turned to look past Syaoran. "Sakura? What are you doing out here?" His voice was incredulous. '_The girl wasn't supposed to be outside_,' Syaoran noted.

Sakura stepped forward, her voice hesitant. "I…was chasing after Kero and ended up running into him. The mess is my fault."

Touya sighed. "Sakura, you know you're not suppose to let it out."

She bit her lips. "I know, but he smelled food and you know how gets when he's hungry," she said helplessly.

Yukito placed a hand on Touya's shoulder. "It's okay Touya. No harm has been done."

Touya snorted, but made no move to remove the other man's hand. Syaoran noted that also. "No harm except the gaki has seen them both." He gave Syaoran a glare. "What are we suppose to do about him? Can we throw him overboard?"

"To-ya," Yukito warned. Touya sighed, knowing he wouldn't get his way. "We have to tell him."

"I know, but I don't like it."

**To be continued...**

What's the big secret? Why was Sakura locked up? Why is Syaoran being so sneaky? All will be revealed later.

I'm pretty happy with how this story is progressing. Perhaps I won't get bored as easily. Thank you **Yukimi the Ice Goddess**for the lovely review. To everyone else, please support me by telling me what you think with a review!


	3. Explained

**Disclaimer: **Cardcaptor does not belong to me. The rightful owner is Clamp. And it's no use suing me. I have no money or valuable assets.

**Onward to Treasure**  
'Explained'

Silence hovered over the four of them. Touya looked annoyed. Yukito looked resigned, but was smiling reassuringly at Sakura. Sakura had nervous written all over her face. Syaoran maintained his bland expression.

Touya made the first move. "Kaijou, go look for Kero, but make sure no one sees you. Get Tomoyo and meet at my room." Sakura made no protest and for the first time, did not stamp at her brother's foot for calling her a kaijou. She dashed down the hall. Touya sent one last glare at Syaoran, as if was entirely his fault, and strode down the hall in the opposite direction. Yukito followed, motioning to Syaoran to do the same.

No one said a word as they walked down the hallway Syaoran had just recently cleaned. Touya opened the last door and walked inside. Syaoran followed and let his eyes scan the spacious room. A large desk dominated most of the space, situated in the middle of the room. There were three round windows allowing enough sunlight to filter through. On the left wall was covered with a bookcase, filled with a large collection of books. Most of them seem old and battered. On the other side was a double bed. There weren't a lot of personal items scattered in the room apart from a photo of an unknown couple, which was placed on the table.

Touya coughed, snapping Syaoran out of his observation. Touya sat behind the large desk and motioned for Syaoran to sit in the chair directly in front of him. Yukito stood behind Touya. Syaoran felt like he was about to be interviewed under the intense stare, but refrained from fidgeting. He was taught to never show nervousness.

Once again, silence engulfed them. Even Yukito's easy smile could not relieve the tension between Syaoran and Touya as they glared at each other. Syaoran was never one to back out of a battle and he wasn't about to start now. It seemed like the pirate captain was the same.

Minutes passed before the creek of the door interrupted their silent battle. Touya broke off his gaze first as his eyes shifted passed Syaoran's shoulders.

"What took you so long, kaijou?"

Syaoran turned around slightly enough to still be able to keep an eye on the captain. He wouldn't put it past Touya to stab his back while his attention was reverted. After all, the two of them didn't get along very well.

Standing before him were two girls who looked about the same age. However, the object floating above them captured Syaoran's focus more. Relatively speaking, it looked like a stuffed animal with wings. However, a regular stuffed animal shouldn't be able to float in mid-air.

"What are you looking at, kid?" Stuffed animals weren't supposed to talk either.

"Kero," the girl by the name of Sakura admonished. "Be polite."

The stuffed animal fumed as it crossed its arms. The expression on his face looked a lot like the captain's. "I don't like him."

Syaoran remained silent as he shifted his gaze to the girl. His open observation made her nervous as she reverted her gaze to the side. She was around his age and looked relatively normal. Her hair was cut shorter than was fashionable and was the colour of honey. Her face was pretty and well-sculptured, but would have been easily forgettable if it weren't for a pair of startling green eyes.

As Syaoran focused on the last remaining stranger in the room, he was surprised to find that he was also under observation. The remaining girl met his eye and smiled. He ignored the greeting. Instead, he quickly took in the long, ebony hair and pale face.

"Are you done?" Touya growled, obviously growing impatient.

Syaoran turned back to his opponent and nodded.

"Before I explain about our…circumstances, there are a few questions I'd like to ask you." Touya didn't wait for a reply because one wasn't necessary. "What's your real name?"

"Syaoran Li."

"Where did you come from?"

"Hong Kong, China."

"Why were you on that ship?"

"I wanted to make some money."

Touya narrowed his eyes. "What's your purpose for joining this crew?"

Syaoran shrugged. "It seemed like a good opportunity."

Touya fired more questions and each time, Syaoran would give him a vague, but reasonable answer.

"Where are you family?"

"They're dead."

Touya paused, not sure if you pry further. He glanced at Syaoran's unchanging expression and was about to proceed when a hand rested on his shoulder.

"To-ya, don't you think that's enough?"

Touya glared at Syaoran. "I still don't trust him."

"Whether or not you trust him is not the issue at hand. He should at least be informed as to why he can't tell others about what he has seen."

Touya sighed. Sometimes, he really hated Yukito's logic. He lazily sprawled on his armchair and just stared at Syaoran, as if looking for something to convict him of. Everyone waited with anticipation. "I suppose you've heard of the rumour revolving around the Clow Treasure. You would have to be deaf otherwise."

Syaoran shrugged. "There are numerous rumours about it."

Touya sat up straighter, his expression serious. "I'm talking about the one where they say that the Clow treasure is magical."

Syaoran could feel everyone's eyes on him, gauging his reaction. Syaoran weighed his words carefully. "Are you trying to tell me that it's true?"

Touya remained silent and then, with his face as serious as ever, said one simple word. "Yes." He then sat up suddenly and strode towards the bookcase. Without even searching, he grabbed one particularly battered book and tossed it to Syaoran. Out of reflexes alone did Syaoran catch it.

Syaoran frowned as he ran his hand across the cover. There was a symbol of what looked to be a sun and a moon eclipsing around a circle. He glanced at the captain and Touya nodded. Syaoran flipped open the first page and studied the strange writing within it.

"Do you know what you're holding there?" Touya asked. Syaoran didn't answer because one wasn't necessary. The obvious answer was that he didn't. "That is Clow's Journal. Now, you're probably wondering how I got my hands on such a legendary item." Touya crossed the room and took the book from Syaoran's hands. "Our father was a researcher and was fascinated with pirate history. On one of his longer expeditions he came across this, and spent the rest of his life trying to decipher what was written inside. However, he never completed it. He did know that something in the pages contained a clue as to where the Clow Treasure is located." Touya stopped to look at Sakura. "Sakura found this in an old trunk in the basement. To make a long story short, that stuffed animal flew out of it and told her she's the rightful owner of the Clow Treasure. He told her that Clow Reed was a great magician and over time, gathered a large amount of magical artefacts. He entrusted his treasure to Sakura."

Kero nodded his head. "His last words were that the next time I wake up, I'd see my new master."

Syaoran frowned trying to piece together the information. "If she is the rightful owner, why have you not found the treasure yet?"

Touya did not look happy with the question, but he was not the one to speak.

"I do not know where it is." Both Syaoran and Touya turned to Sakura, surprised to hear her input. "Kero said that it will come to me over time." Her voice wavered slightly as all attention turned to her. "I'll know where it is located when the time is right."

"In the mean time, we're trying to gather all the clues we can." At seeing Syaoran's sceptical expression, Touya turned to glare at him and used his superior height to tower over him. "I don't care if you think we're all insane or if we're making this story up, but if one word of this gets out into the public, you have my solemn swear that I will kill you."

Syaoran stared back at Touya unflinchingly, but inside his head, he was thinking madly. '_How could this be?_' He turned to stare at Sakura. '_This girl…_'

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Touya barked.

One of the crew members came dashing inside. "Captain, there's something outside you should see now. It's important."

Touya sighed and began to walk towards the door. "Yuki, watch over him." The door closed behind him.

Syaoran continued to stare of Sakura, but a motion caught his eye. The stuffed animal flew towards him. Syaoran's eyes followed it as it circled around him.

"Kero…" the girl spoke cautiously, but she was ignored. It continued to observe Syaoran.

"There's something not right about you," it said as its eyes narrowed. "There's a disturbance around you, but I can see what."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Kero snorted. "That's not surprising, but I will be keeping an eye on you."

"Kero!" Sakura said more firmly. "That isn't how you treat people." She turned to Syaoran and for the first time, looked him in the eye. "I apologise…" She trailed off.

"Li."

"I apologise Li-san for both Kero and my brother. They're both very protective, but," she hesitated, but continued on, "I will place my trust in you."

Syaoran narrowed his eyes, unsure how to interpret that statement. '_Could someone truly be that trusting? Or is it a trap?_' Syaoran chose to say nothing even though an answer was expected.

Yukito smiled. "Li-san is very quiet."

Syaoran shrugged. "I was taught not to say more than what's necessary."

"That doesn't make for very lively conversations though," the stuffed animal inputted with a snort. After making that statement, he was scolded upon.

Once again and awkward silence passed amongst them until the door opened and Touya returned. In a hurried voice, he ordered, "Sakura, Tomoyo, return to your rooms. Yuki, we're needed on the deck," and then as an afterthought, he said, "you too gaki."

Surprised by the sudden change of mood, everyone followed Touya's orders without a word and swiftly. Syaoran looked out the window and was surprised to see there was a raging storm outsidewithout him ever noticing. Sakura took a fleeting glance and her brother. While he looked composed and calm on the outside, she saw the firm line of his mouth, which symbolised worry. She frowned. She sensed that something horrible was about the happen, but she pushed the feeling aside and dashed to the safety of her room.

**To be continued...**

This chapter was difficult to write because all that went all was talking amongst the characters and not much action took place. However, it was necessarily in order for me to explain some background information. The plot will be getting more interesting in the next chapter.

Thank you **FlowerLover**, **Yukimi the Ice Goddess **and **Tizabelle** for your lovely reviews. Please keep them coming.


	4. Rescued

**Disclaimer: **Cardcaptor Sakura does not belong to me. The rightful owner is Clamp. And it's no use suing me. I have no money or valuable assets.

**Onward To Treasure**  
'Rescued'

Sakura paced endlessly back and forth across her room. She tried to stop numerous times, but she just couldn't get the feeling of dread out of her stomach. When she gets a sense of foreboding like right now, it's usually surprisingly accurate. Sakura paced faster.

"Sakura, you're going to wear a whole in the floor," Tomoyo quipped. "Just sit still. Touya handled storms like this numerous times before."

Sakura took a deep breath. Perhaps Tomoyo was right. After all, The Nadeshiko survived more than its fair share of storms. That's where they got their invincible reputation from. Touya always managed to steer the boat and crew away to safety. Sakura looked out the window at the darkened sky. But there was something different about today that had her unsettled.

Then, heedless of the cries of warning coming from Kero and Tomoyo, she ran out the door. Dashing down the hall, she didn't hear any pursuit after her, so she opened the door leading outside with ease. Immediately as she stepped out, she was drenched to the bone. Endless amount of rain poured over her entire body making it difficult for her to move or even see. Wiping the water away from her eyes, she scanned the deck for her brother. All the crew members were too busy frantically working at their job and yelling and shouting at each other to pay her any attention. However, it was hard to distinguish who was who in the dark downpour.

A hand gripped onto her arm, making her jump. She turned around and came face to face with a soaking wet Syaoran. His hair was plastered to his face, but his brown eyes glowed fiercely. "What are you doing out here?" he yelled, trying to get his voice over the cries of others.

"Where's Touya?" Sakura screamed back. Even though they were only inches away from each other, the noises of the storm and crew members made it difficult to talk. Sakura wasn't sure if he heard her or not, but he jerked her arm and pushed her towards to door. "No!" Sakura yelled desperately, "I need to find Touya!" Still heedless of her cries, Syaoran tried to drag her inside.

Now in wild panic, Sakura used all her strength to jerk her arm away. It came loose from his grip and she dashed off into the array of men. She heard him yell, but ignored it as she scanned frantically for her brother. Something bad was about to happen and it was going to happen soon.

Lightening flashed in the sky and for one brilliant moment, Sakura saw Touya clearly. He stood at the edge of the boat yanking on a string of rope with Yukito behind him. Sakura dashed towards him, but just as she opened her mouth in warning, lightening struck. Time seemed to go in slow motion as the boat lurched. Sakura felt her heart stop as Touya lost his footing and was thrown over the railing.

"No!" she screamed and ran closer.

And what she saw made her catch her breath. Yukito stood over the railing, his upper body over the side of the boat as if grabbing onto something. Another man held onto his waste and together they yanked a body back onto the ship. Sakura saw his beloved brother, lying on the wooden floor, breathing in deeply and alive. She almost collapsed onto the floor out of pure relief.

It was then that Touya lifted his head and as if sensing she was there, his gaze made contact with hers. His eyes widened in shock. In that same instant, the ship lurched again except this time, Sakura was the one that lost her footing. The last thing she saw was Touya lunging towards her, but by that time it was too late. She felt her body slam against freezing cold water before everything went black.

-----

Sakura felt a searing pain in her chest and quickly opened her eyes to find out the cause. Wincing at the intense white light, she blinked rapidly for her eyes to adjust. Slowly, a clear picture of a forest of blooming cherry blossom trees stood before her. The sky was a startling clear blue, the grass was an emerald green and the beautiful blossoms were scattered around everywhere. 

Sakura looked down and found herself laying on a white bed, garbed into a comfortable white dress. "Am I in heaven?" she uttered.

A voice chuckled behind her and Sakura immediately spun around. A man stood there. He was tall with a sweep of beautiful raven hair, but his face was lined with laugh lines around his eyes and mouth, showing his signs of aging. "I'm afraid you aren't in heaven yet," he said cheerfully as she walked towards her. Sakura had a distinct feeling she heard his voice before.

She stared at him. "Where am I?"

"No where really." He made a sweep around. "This is a hole in the dimension. It's a place that very few know about, but a beautiful place nonetheless. Don't you agree?"

Sakura nodded. "It is beautiful." The man smiled, but said nothing more. It was as if he was waiting. Sakura hesitated, but asked, "You're Clow Reed, aren't you?"

He smiled softly. "I am."

Sakura fell silent, thinking hard about what to ask. "Did you send me here?"

He nodded. "I felt compelled to talk to you, but I cannot break the barrier between the living and the dead until your life force is weakened drastically."

Sakura's eyes widened, reminded of what had happened earlier. "Touya…"

"Is fine," Clow interjected. "At the present moment he is overly worried for your safety, but other then that, he's in perfect health." Sakura sighed with relief. The prospect of losing her brother, the only family member she had left, was a draining thought. Clow smiled. "You care for him very much, do you not?"

Sakura nodded. "He may be annoying and frustrating at times, always calling me kaiju, but he's still my beloved onii-chan."

Clow nodded thoughtfully. "That is good. To know and experience love is one of life's most precious gifts."

Silence engulfed them as Sakura debated on whether or not it would be appropriate to ask the question foremost on her mind. "Clow-san, can you tell me where the treasure is?"

Clow turned and studied Sakura's face. Slowly, he said, "right now is not the right time. When you are ready to bare the responsibility and power, the location of the treasure will be clear to you. However…" he paused, "have you met Syaoran Li yet?" Sakura, confused, nodded yes. "Place your trust in him. In the future, his actions may make you doubt him, but do not let your trust waver. He will become a great ally."

Sakura, thinking back to cold, emotionless boy she had met, found that a bit hard to believe, but nodded her understanding all the same. Clow smiled again. Sakura noticed that his smile, a bit quirked to the side, gave you a feeling that he knew exactly what you were thinking.

"Sakura!"

Sakura turned around and looked over her shoulder. She could have sworn she just heard Touya yell her name however faint it was.

"I think it is time for you to go," Clow said with a small smile still on his face. "Reality is already sinking in. Until we meet again, Mistress of the Cards."

Sakura frowned as she opened her mouth to ask why he called her by such a strange name, but her surrounding began to blur all around her. All the colours swirled together until everything was a blinding white. Sakura shut her eyes. She felt like her body was being pushed backwards at rapid speed. Her stomach clenched. She didn't know how much more she could take.

When the dizziness passed away, Sakura braved to open her eyes. She found herself staring at the worried face of her brother. "Onii-chan," she uttered, feeling happiness swell inside her.

Touya straightened and grunted. "You gave us quite the scare there kaiju." Sakura couldn't help but notice there was a slight waver to his voice. "Don't ever do that again." He cleared his throat. "I have work to do." He left the room in a rush.

Yukito smiled softly, his eyes twinkling. "To-ya cares for you very much. Welcome back Sakura-chan,"

Sakura blushed by the attention and nodded as Yukito went after Touya. She turned to look at Tomoyo who was sitting beside her bed. Her best friend regarded her with worry-filled eyes. Immediately guilt crept upon Sakura. Everyone must have been worried about her. "Gomen Tomoyo-chan."

Tomoyo shook her head. "You were worried about Touya. I would have done the same if you were in trouble." Sakura smiled. She was so lucky to have such an understanding friend. "But I don't know what I would have done if Li-san wasn't there."

"Li-san?" Sakura inquired.

Kero plopped onto the bed beside her. "Believe it or not, that little gaki saved your life. I guess everyone must have their good moments."

"Kero, be nice. Li-san did a very brave thing." Tomoyo turned to Sakura. "After you fell in, he was the one that dived after you and helped you stay afloat."

Sakura thought it was very out of character for him to do something like that, but immediately felt badly for thinking such a thought. She hadn't known him for very long, so who was she to pass judgement on him? She then remembered what Clow Reed had said. "I have to go thank him."

But as she tried to stand up, Tomoyo gently pushed her down onto the bed. "You can thank him tomorrow. Right now, you need to rest."

As she mentioned rest, Sakura realised that she did feel a big groggy. Perhaps some sleep would be a good idea. After all, she did have a pretty exhausting day. With a yawn, she settled herself inside the covers until one thought entered her mind. "Oh Kero, I met Clow Reed." And with that, leaving her poor guardian hanging, Sakura fell into a deep sleep.

-----

Sakura opened her eyes and scanned her dark room. Tomoyo sat on the chair beside her, but due to exhaustion, her upper body was laid on the side of Sakura's bed. Kero slept on the left side of the pillow. He turned around, mumbling something incoherent about pudding. Sakura smiled at the sight. She then glanced out the window at the dark sky. '_What time is it?_'

Carefully getting out of bed so she won't disturb anyone, Sakura padded towards the door. Opening it as quietly as she could, she walked into the deserted hallway and outside. The storm had calmed and the night sky was clear and beautiful. Stars twinkled overhead and the full moon illuminated off the glistening water. It always surprised her how fast the weather could change. It could be violent one moment, and then absolutely stunningl the next.

Stepping out onto the deck, Sakura was surprised to find she was not alone. She was about to make a quiet retreat, when the person turned around. Sakura blinked, making out the face of the figure. Relief engulfed her. It was only Li-san. If it was a member of the crew, she would be in a lot of trouble with Touya. She walked forward and stood beside him on the railing. "What are you doing up?"

He regarded her. "I could ask you the same thing."

Sakura looked out at the sea. "I love the ocean at night. Besides, this is the only time I'm allowed outside. Touya doesn't want any of the crew members to see me." She turned back to Syaoran. "What's your excuse?"

He shrugged. "I couldn't sleep."

Somehow, Sakura had expected that answer. A comfortable silence engulfed them. Sakura spoke up first. "I want to thank you. Tomoyo told me that you saved me and…arigatou."

"It's nothing."

"Also…" Sakura hesitated. It may not be wise to tell him, but…. "I talked with Clow Reed today." She regarded his face carefully. She saw a flicker of surprise, but it disappeared so quickly, Sakura wasn't sure if she imagined it or not. "When I passed out, he was able to make contact with me." Knowing how she probably sounded crazy, she speeded through the rest. "He advised me to trust you."

Syaoran was silent as he too stared out to the sea. Sakura knew he was contemplating an answer and allowed him time to think. Moments passed. Finally, he turned to her and stared directly into her eyes. "I don't know if that's wise."

That was not an answer Sakura had expected, but thinking now, it was probably the best one. It was the most truthful and there was nothing to doubt. Sakura glanced at him from the corner of her eye. She will place her trust in him. She had decided so already, regardless of his answer. He had saved her life and for that, she owed him her outmost trust. Besides, Clow Reed's judgement would not lead her astray.

Pushing away from the railing, Sakura grinned. "Perhaps, after we get to know each other, we'll be able to trust each other more. I hope we can become friends." Knowing she wouldn't get a reply to such a rash statement, Sakura gave a small wave. "I'm heading back inside now. I'll see you tomorrow Li-san!"

Syaoran watched her retreat with curious eyes.

**To be continued…**

It's amazing how fast I work when inspired and fuelled by reviews. Thanks goes out to **FlowerLover**, **Yukimi the Ice Goddess**,** Sakura, Rachel**,**LupineLightning-IllusionDragon**,** Michael Bulaich**,** Tizabelle**,** Countdown **and** VampireJazzy**. I love you all and your wonderful comments.


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